“As the demand for digital technology increases, it’s important for local governments to have an online presence that is both mobile-friendly and engaging for residents,” East Lansing Communications Coordinator Mikell Frey said in an email.

As a part of an existing contract with the city's web host company, CivicPlus redesigned the website at no additional cost, the release said.

“It is with that in mind, that we worked over the past several months with ... CivicPlus, to launch the City of East Lansing’s redesigned website," Frey said. "The site incorporates community feedback that was gathered prior to the start of the redesign process, and features a refreshed look and improved experience for site visitors.”

Residents who are interested in providing feedback to city officials on the new-look interface can visit the form here. By using the form, the city will ask for residents' first and last names, address, phone number and email so they can reach out with additional questions. 

"The most major change is the design of the site. Specifically, the front page of the website was completely redesigned," Frey said. "The department header pages were redesigned to mirror the look of the front page of the site. The interior pages were redesigned as well."

A major difference between the previous and the new website is a featured image of the statue that resides in the center of Grand River Avenue in downtown East Lansing. Another accessible feature of the site is that the home page provides easy access to links for the city of East Lansing’s meeting portal and also a page involving COVID-19 updates.

The site can be accessed at www.cityofeastlansing.com.